Granblue Fantasy, as a franchise, began life as a free-to-play RPG for mobile phones, before making its console debut in the fighting genre. As someone that struggles to memorize specific button prompts to execute moves, I ultimately skipped that game, Granblue Fantasy: Versus. I would admire from afar until finally, a mainline, non-F2P JRPG within that universe was announced. I was pretty gleeful, but that was also eight years ago, when I wasn’t in my thirties. Thinking about it, this situation is actually identical to that of Dead Island 2. In that instance, though, it ended up being a certifiable banger. That said, I’m hopeful that history will repeat, despite being in development hell. 

Granblue Fantasy Relink gripped me by the gonads from the first trailer. The pretty colors had me in a vice, while the hack and slash was the cherry on top of this scrumptious-looking cake. That’s why I had my heart broken once Cygames delayed it repeatedly. I forgot it even existed because it took so long to release. Then, it reemerged in a presentation, and I was given the go-ahead to call off the search party. I have, and now I sit here with a coffee in hand, ready to dive into a deep analysis after 65+ hours.

A FANTASY HOMAGE!

The story is best described as a warm cup of hot chocolate that Mother made on a frigid, cold night. It’s a classic take on the fantastical, bathing in tropes and cliches. A little-known tidbit about me is that my favorite childhood JRPGs are both Lunar: Silver Star Story and Eternal Blue. I adore them, so when a game reminds me of the majesty and feeling I had when playing those, it’s a wrap – I was eight again. Nothing about Granblue Fantasy ReLink’s narrative shocks as far as twists go. In fact, I could telegraph most surprises, but none of that matters because the ride I went on is bursting with charm.

Every minute I spent in this universe was steeped in enjoyment. I’m smitten by how this game leans into what it is. The lore isn’t trying to reinvent the wheel, but it nails every landmark of the genre. We’ve got airships, mention of divine beings, fighting against a villain threatening humanity, and most importantly, rescuing a damsel kidnapped by the baddies. As I said, it won’t innovate, but it does tell a well-crafted story of heroes trying to defeat evil and save the world from destruction.

 

DESTINY IS CALLING!

There is an aspect that I firmly think will be divisive amongst players and it’s called Fate Episodes. If you’re a literary nut like myself, it’s a wonderful method of learning the characters’ backgrounds. We not only get to see how each party member ran into the captain of this ragtag crew but we are given insight on who they are as individuals. As an extra piece of flourish, it’s narrated from their perspective, injecting a further sense of life into these coded husks. With that in mind, it can be construed as a tiny wall of text, but thanks to the superb pacing, it isn’t ever overwhelming. It does, however, come with a subjective hitch.

Before I begin, my gripe isn’t concerning the writing’s quality because, as the kids would say, we stan it. What has me grumbling is how, throughout the entire monologue, a lone static photo is shown. As a visual person, that lack of variety meant it relied solely on the words to paint an adequate picture of whatever’s depicted. With a couple more, I reckon the immersion I’d feel would be heightened. Granted, it’s a small tweak in the grand scheme that, admittedly, isn’t all that crucial, but it would enhance the experience.  

See, our imagination is sufficient enough because it’s polished to hell and back. I felt like I was reading a heavily edited book. The passion poured into this script is quite clear, and perhaps that’s a byproduct of having cooked for so long, but regardless, I was impressed. It verbalizes the imagery that it intends to perfectly. It weaves sentences with such precision, never sacrificing a seamless flow, and as a result, it feels organic. Dialogue resembles how you or I would converse, cementing how easy it is for a person to be engulfed.

 

YOU’RE VERY PERSONABLE!

When it comes to the cast, the majority are absolutely fantastic. As I progressed, I could see how they were brimming with personality. Before I ramble on, though, I want to highlight how adorable Lyria is. I’m not afraid to concede that I was in love. She’s both innocent and so pure. I smiled loads, which occurred regularly, especially when partaking in the Fate Episodes feature. Seeing the interactions was always swell, and sure, the caliber of a few aren’t at the same degree as others, but I also never thought they were horrible. It’s actually the opposite, as it consistently had me glued to my screen, finding immense bliss in my playthrough.

The reason is that patented JRPG humor. It’s unbridled silliness, and the banter between everyone is incredible. Granblue Fantasy Relink really leans into lunacy. It doesn’t take itself seriously and is well aware of how ridiculous it can be. It never ceased to amuse me how Io, a female magician, would tease and pester Reckam, the pretty boy hotshot – it was like a little sister bullying her big brother, pushing his buttons. Yeah, the hilarity heavily depends on your sense of humor, but when it hits, it damn well hits the funny bone.

 

WHAT AM I FEELING?!

When going on a journey such as this, there needs to be an emotional weight. I need motivation to drive me forward, be it empathy or anger. Regrettably, what little I felt wasn’t included in the main plot. It was buried within the Fate Episodes. It’s a shame, really, because it’s well worth seeking out. I found that I grew closer to everyone. I could relate to their tribulations, and I discovered that they’re genuinely likable. That said, I would be remiss not to note how Granblue Fantasy Relink is guilty of committing a grave sin. For spoiler’s sake, I won’t discuss it further, but I will say it undermines a beat that could’ve rounded the events beautifully. 

The feeling I did have, and it was rather potent, was the determination to see this group of miscreants be successful in their endeavors. It’s difficult for me to articulate properly, but the gist is that this title is an anime. Hell, the power of friendship makes an appearance – groans are certainly possible. I can see specific points being described as cringe. The usage of “anyhoodle” in place of “anywho” may well seem dumb to folks. For my money, none of this stuff is truly bothersome, and as a package, I was pleased.

SWING AND STAB!

For the few years that I’ve been reviewing, I’ve given four 10s, with two belonging to the Nier games. The biggest contributor to that was the combat, so it’s with pleasure that I assert that Granblue Fantasy Relink can effortlessly rival it. The swordplay is fast and fluent. Using special abilities is intuitive – I was handily pressing the correct buttons. The lock-on system functions with no issues, making utilizing environmental objects to inflict damage painless. I couldn’t begin to express how it feels, but it’s, for sure, bloody spectacular.

I’ve already mentioned it, but I’ll reiterate it: my session went for 65+ hours, and during it, I wouldn’t be surprised if the constant mashing becomes tedious. You might grow bored of using the same sword and hunger to freshen up the gameplay. Well, due to the plentiful roster at my disposal, I can simply be someone else. If I fancy cocking a gun and scoring headshots, by all means. If I rather dual-wield daggers, however, have at her. Granblue Fantasy Relink is a buffet of slaughter, striving to cater to your style and maximize your satisfaction.

 

NO CHOPPING, PLEASE!

I reckon battling is the selling point of Granblue Fantasy Relink. A ton of mechanics revolve around it, like, for example, a skill tree. These are known as Masteries, and by spending what has been dubbed as Mastery Points, I can learn techniques, increase my stats, gain resistance to debuffs, and so much more. I like the implementation. It gave me a goal to focus on. When I started to fill it out, I could not only see a difference, but I could feel it. Strikes are gloriously impactful, and you know me, seeing the damage output grow is intoxicating.

I’ve made it no secret that I’m that weirdo who thrives on grinding. I find it relaxing, going around and massacring poor, defenseless monsters. I’m a sadist, but the repetition of going in and out of encounters could eventually catch up, and it caught up. Since I can recruit upwards of 15 characters or so, I have a bunch of skirmishes in my future. That would typically be dandy, but the sheer volume does get excessive. That’s when it clicked; the culprit is precisely those Mastery Points. They’re the center of all my aggravations.

Firstly, the cost of nodes, especially when close to the top, is massive. If you compare it to the total I can earn through quests, it’s ridiculous. I began questioning if Granblue Fantasy Relink was burdened with its own form of inflation. To be fair, my primary source for earning these are side-quests, and I can beat those quickly. When I have 15+ companions in need of attention, well, the monotony builds. Frankly, the amount I get for my efforts needs to be rebalanced. If it were a higher number, that tedium would lessen. 

Actually, I’ve got proof of that being beneficial. Aside from the skill tree, I can forge weapons. The materials to do so are usually drops I can obtain after killing goblins, griffins, and these odd rock lizard creatures. If I were to create a brand new spear, it comes with a potential for six perks. The currency I use to unlock them are, yup, the Mastery Points. The price tag isn’t what you would expect, being stupidly cheap, at least. As a result, I’m incentivized to mess about, excited to see the differences the next bonus would bring.

Secondly, Sigils, a trinket imbued with a further perk, also depend on those Mastery Points to level up. You’re probably starting to clue into how important these are, crediting my recommendation to rebalance. If a lone aspect triggers the vast majority of the mechanical ecosystem, it must be fine-tuned and not cumbersome. Don’t get me wrong; I love the idea behind Sigils, and the ability to turn everyone into fearsome powerhouses is attractive. It’s when I’m entering into a perpetual cycle of repetition and come out with minimal reward that’s awful.  

Thirdly, and this mishap is largely on me, but given how lavish the buffs can be, I want to activate and utilize them all. Half of the skill tree only becomes available after reaching the endgame which is asinine. There’s nothing of substance to do other than tackle side-quests ad nauseam. Yes, it’s possible to revisit a Chapter to collect any treasures that I missed, but the enemies won’t scale. Even if I were to pick the hardest difficulty, my level is leagues above. There’s zero challenge, demolishing any engagement since I didn’t need to pay attention to evade attacks. I became a sponge, leading me to plead for a New Game Plus.

 

COULD YOU GO DO THAT?!

The question burning the tip of everyone’s tongue is what errands I’ll be asked to do, and the answer is a small variety. For fans of Musou games, buckle up, because a ton had me eliminating a massive group of foes within a set time limit. It gets very hectic, too, because several are thrown at me simultaneously. Now, as a kamikaze player, I’m personally chuffed. Having to dodge and weave projectiles or brutal axes is a thrill. I may even find myself face-to-face with a boss that I’ve previously conquered; only Round 2 boosts their strength.

WHERE AM I?!

Mini-maps have become a mainstay in video games in general. They’re extremely helpful guides when traversing huge, open areas. From an accessibility perspective, it also prevents most from being stressed about missing a chest, or getting disoriented. Having said all that, it’s sincerely baffling how Granblue Fantasy Relink has none. I felt like a chicken with its head cut off because I couldn’t, for the life of me, recall if I had or hadn’t been to a spot. I’m confident that I was running in circles, and that much was confirmed when I saw what I missed.

 

HERE COMES A CRASH?!

I almost feel silly touching the performance. I’m on the PlayStation 5, and unsurprisingly, I suffered zero hiccups. It isn’t as if Granblue Fantasy Relink doesn’t try tanking framerates. It tosses massive giants at me for crying out loud. Yet, in lieu of those attempts, it retains that peanut butter smoothness. I have to give credit where credit is due; making sure that optimization is pristine is the reason the combat is just so damn gratifying. Hell, the only crash that I suffered was because of overheating. In layman’s terms, I spent entire days swallowed in this universe, and my PS5 had to literally surrender and forcefully boot me off.

 

WELL, LOOK AT YOU!

I delegated my opinion on the graphics at the start of this review, but yes, I adore all of the character designs. Okay, I lied because the female Protagonist, compared to the others, is as generic as can be. It’s confusing because the attention to detail everywhere else is sublime. The intricacies of each model are on full display. There’s no mistaking the meticulous eye that went towards crafting the taverns, foliage, and smithery. Facial expressions do well to communicate the gravity of situations, but not when it comes to who I control. Her stare is blank, and while I appreciate the subtle eyebrow movements, it did not salvage her.

WAIT, WHAT’S THAT SOUND?!

Voice acting is such a heated topic, especially inside the JRPG sphere – should it be dub or sub. I’m of the mind that we’re in a golden era, and Granblue Fantasy Relink continues that. The written word can only go so far when it concerns exhibiting personality. It’s not impossible, but it relies greatly on how the gamer perceives the tone. That’s where audio saunters in, and man, what an amazing job they’ve done here. It shouldn’t be unexpected, considering the pedigree of performers, but they did fantastically on every count. Their delivery was gorgeous, and the inflations to illustrate sarcasm or bickering were so immaculate. The praises I could sling are endless, but ultimately, I was thoroughly tickled and had a ton of fun.

As for the soundtrack, well, where to begin – the score is orchestrated genius. It’s brilliant and fits right in with the setting. You have the classic mix of grandiose and soothing, but the constant with both types remains the crisp quality. What especially caught my ear is that, while the many areas that I visit have distinct background music, the theme for when I’m locked in battle with the boss is a slight variation of that tune. My one critique would be that it doesn’t play with songs that tug at the heartstrings. There are one or two, but it seems Cygames wanted to capture the feeling of adventure, and on that front, they’ve hit a home run.

 

AND THE GRANBLUE VERDICT IS…

Granblue Fantasy Relink was not only well worth the wait, but it blew my expectations clear out of the water. If I’m honest, I anticipated a JRPG that was a bit above average but wouldn’t really be a blip in a Game of the Year discussion. Well, shut my whore mouth because, while it does tell the traditional tale of preventing the apocalypse, it handles it exceptionally. It isn’t flawless, but the missteps that it does have are far from catastrophic. In fact, two minor tweaks could easily propel this title into the company of an elite bunch. What has me really ecstatic, though, is by the end, the room is left for a sequel. Now, if you’ll excuse me, I have beasts to kill.

Graphics: 10 Everything looks absolutely gorgeous. The character work is amazing, and I love how detailed the locales are. That was one thing that always appealed to me about it when it lived life as a Fighting game.	Gameplay: 9.0 I can see how the lack of variation with the quests could bother a few but for me, I was eating it up. The reason for that is the combat. It’s so fluent. Simply incredible isn’t doing how dope it actually is any justice.
Sound: 9.0 For as awesome that overall score is, the absence of tacks that invoke any sort of sad emotion is missed. it’s not detrimental to how wonderful Granblue is, but I can’t say that it wouldn’t have been nice to have.	Fun Factor: 9.0 Like I said, many late nights were had. I lost track of time as I was trying to best everything I could. The lack of New Game+ took a bit of wind from my sails, and I do think the Mastery Points needs rebalancing. Otherwise, I loved every second spent in this world.
Final Verdict: 9.5

Granblue Fantasy Relink is available now on PS4, PS5 and PC.

Reviewed on Playstation 5.

A copy of Granblue Fantasy Relink was provided by the publisher.